Craig Pickering has claimed his fellow British athletes have no excuses for missing out-of-competition drugs tests.

Fellow sprinters Mark Lewis-Francis and Simeon Williamson have both admitted they have missed two tests - and face being banned for a year if they miss a third.

World 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and world triathlon champion Tim Don have both served bans - of a year and three months respectively - for being unavailable on three occasions when testers visited.

Under the system operated by anti-doping agency UK Sport, athletes have to nominate a specific hour, five days a week, when they will be available for testing.

Craig Pickering, the European indoor 60 metres silver medallist, said: "I've not missed any tests.

"It's not that hard a system and I'm surprised that people have missed tests.

"I can understand how you would miss a test but having missed one then you are already on a slippery slope and I would be doing everything I could to make sure I did not miss another one.

"I know people who have missed tests and they have forgotten that was their slot at that time.

"But in this climate - and especially with the Christine Ohuruogu case and everyone knows about it - you cannot afford to miss a drugs test.

"It is your job as an athlete to make sure you are there at a certain point in time."

Pickering said he originally nominated an hour when he would be training as his window for testers, but now did it first thing in the morning.

"I give my slot of 7am until 8am when I know I'm in bed," he said.

"They can come and wake me up and it's no problem.

"You know where you are first thing in the morning and that is my time slot.

"I did originally want it as my training slot but then you cannot train because you are ill that will be the day when the testers turn up and that is a missed drugs test."

Sporting Life / Eurosport